The present invention relates in general to polishing and repair devices, and in particular, to a disc polisher apparatus for the abrasive removal of surface scratches from a laser scanned digitally encoded storage disc, which scratches may otherwise serve to obstruct the scanning process and prevent the stored data from being retrieved from the disc.
Developments in data storage technology has resulted in the increasing use of compact disc technology where digitally encoded data is permanently stored on a media and retrieved on or "read" by optical scanning mechanisms. Such encoding is represented by a multiplicity of "pits" and "lands" which are arranged in concentric circular tracts on one side of the disc itself. A reflective surface, such as a thin sheet of aluminum foil, is then applied to the side where the pits and lands have been formed. A laser beam then scans the disc during operational play. The laser beam directed onto the disc reaches the reflective surface where it is then reflected by the pits and lands which it has scanned. The pits and lands thus form digital information which may be converted into an analog signal such as music which can be heard by the human ear, or remain as digital data for use by a computer.
For many years, industry, as well as the consuming public, have utilized devices which are intended to clean a media storing disc which over time tends to collect deposits which hamper the ability to retrieve stored data. However, few, if any prior art devices are intended to polish and repair the disc in an abrasive manner. Indeed, such prior art devices are particularly designed to avoid abrasive polishing due to the fact that abrasive cleaning techniques can, if not properly controlled, severely damage an otherwise unscratched disc surface.
While it is unlikely that relatively minor scratches on the non-reflective side of the disc will impair the intended results of the scanning process, relatively deep scratches located on such a surface can severely effect the output. If such a scratch is relatively deep (usually caused by mishandling of the disc itself), the beam emitted from the laser during scanning will actually refract. Such refraction can cause data to be missed making the disc completely inoperable. It is these types of scratches which the prior art has not addressed. Furthermore, the mere removal of such scratches does not necessarily adequately recondition the disc. The removal of these scratches must be effectuated while maintaining a substantially parallel disc surface. Failure to do so can result in undesirable refraction of the laser beam.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a disc polishing apparatus capable of substantially repairing relatively deep damaging scratches in the surface of a digitally encoded disc which has made the disc undesirable for play, or completely inoperable, so as to enable the disc to be played normally once again.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a disc polishing apparatus which substantially, and abrasively repairs such damaging scratches while maintaining a relatively parallel surface to the digitally encoded disc after such abrasive repair of the scratches.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a disc polishing apparatus with a motor-driven mechanical arrangement for the polishing of the disc.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent in light of the present specification and drawings.